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DARKNESS EMBRACED

CHAPTER REVEAL

Chapter 1TannerAustin, TexasPresent Day . . .The sand crunched under my feet. Bullets flew around my head. My chest was tight, ready to snap, as I watched Gull and Arizona take shots to their heads and drop to the floor.Both of them fucking dead and done.A whistle cut through the carnage that was this fucked-up deserted farm. I glanced up to the barn beside me. AK was signaling to me from his place on the roof. He sliced his hand over his throat. I got his message—we needed to draw the fuck back.“No!”My gaze snapped to the noise. Viking was scrambling to his feet. When I saw Flame striding toward the crumbling stables across the clearing I knew why. The psychotic motherfucker was walking toward where the Klan were stationed, like he couldn’t be fucking killed, arms stretched wide, firing bullet after bullet toward my old Klan brothers, who were taking us out with fucking pinpoint accuracy.I aimed my gun, focusing on taking down the assholes that had now turned their attention to Flame. AK narrowed his eyes and, with his usual sniper precision, sent bullets flying into the skulls of a few of those who’d abandoned their cover to come at Flame.But the fuckers had a sniper too. These weren’t the skinheads the Klan was known for. The dumb shits everyone always thought of when it came to white power. No, these were the brothers I’d spent years training up. The ones who were kept in secret, so the feds and rivals didn’t know the Klan’s true strength. My father had meticulously recruited these guys. These were the fuckers who were gonna ignite the surprise wildfire that would spark the race war. The soldiers no one ever saw coming.No one but me.“Flame!” Viking jumped up from his place behind an old tractor and sprinted toward his fucked-up brother. Rudge jumped into the spot Vike left. AK tried to give Vike the cover to get to Flame, spraying a blanket of rapid bullets toward the Klan. But this branch of the Klan were stronger, smarter, and knew exactly what AK was doing. I tried to help, emptying my gun of its ammo, signaling to Smiler to give them cover too. But even with our guns, and AK’s fucking perfect aim, bullets came raging from all directions. We were outnumbered and out-skilled.Like it was in fucking slow motion, I watched Vike dive for Flame. But the giant red motherfucker was too late. A bullet sank into Flame’s side. The psycho dropped to the ground, blood pouring from the wound in his stomach.“FUCK!” AK screamed, then jumped down off the barn’s roof. Rudge ran toward Vike and Flame, helping them get the fuck out of the line of fire. “Pull back!” AK shouted to me and Smiler. “Get the fuck back!”I stood, firing shots in the direction of the Klan as AK, Rudge, and Vike dragged Flame from the bullets’ path. Jumping into the truck, I brought the engine to life. I felt the others put Flame in the back. AK hit the roof. “Fucking go!”My pulse raced as I skidded the truck on the road, the Klan’s bullets sounding like exploding grenades, rocking the chassis as they hit the body of the truck. Vike, Rudge, and Smiler came roaring behind on their bikes, all three firing back at the Klan to give us the break we needed to get Flame home.Reaching into my cut, I pulled out my cell and hit a number. “Tann?” Tank said a second later.“Flame’s down. Klan were at the drop-off point. Came at us strong. Fucker got himself shot by losing his shit. Get Rider or Edge or who-the-fuck-ever to the club. He’s been hit in the stomach.” I looked in the rearview mirror to see AK pressing down on the wound. Flame was fighting the brother off. His fucking black eyes were crazed as blood spilled out onto the bed of the truck.“Flame! For fuck’s sake! Keep the fuck still. I know you don’t want me touching you, but fucking think of Maddie. I don’t stop the bleeding, you’re gonna fucking die! You want that? You want to leave Madds alone without you?”Flame’s body stilled, but I could see his nostrils flaring with his fast breaths. Fucker was close to nuclear.“Tann? Tann, you still there?” Tank’s rushed voice came through my cell.“Yeah. Fuck, Tank. They came from nowhere. We were making the exchange and they sprouted up from nowhere and started shooting. Arizona and Gull are dead. Bullets in their heads and sent to the boatman. They didn’t have a fucking chance. Better tell their prez.”“Jesus Christ. How long until you’re here? You need backup?”“No. We’re only ten minutes out. Get the fuck ready in case these assholes are on our tail. I’ll let you know if shit goes south.”I cut off my cell and raced the fuck home. Slash, Smiler’s prospect cousin, was on the gate. Kero, brother from Arlington, was keeping watch beside him. We cut through the gate, Vike and Smiler riding in behind. I slammed the truck to a stop and jumped out.“Help me get him down,” AK said.AK and I lifted Flame from the truck’s bed just as Styx and Ky came barreling out of the clubhouse door. “Get him inside,” Styx signed, Ky voicing the prez’s words. We carried Flame through to the clubhouse to the room we’d had set up as a medical room the minute war had been declared by the Klan and the cartel. And good thing too, because we’d been getting hit on all sides for weeks now.No sooner had we got Flame on the bed than Edge came through with his medical bag. Brother had been a trauma surgeon in the army before he went postal for a while, causing him to be put in a nuthouse. When he got out, fucker decided he liked to use his skills in cutting people up as much as he liked healing them. He joined the Arkansas chapter and quickly became one of the most ruthless brothers we had. He had one blue eye, one brown. And just in case no one realized he was already fucking insane, he dyed his hair on the side of his blue eye ice white, and left the brown side black. But no matter how fucked in the head he was—and that level of insanity could probably even beat Flame’s—brother had been a godsend since he’d been brought here with his chapter.He tied his long crazy-ass hair back off his face and leaned over Flame. Crazier peering down at crazy. Flame, the fucker, quickly acted like the psycho he was and started thrashing on the bed, trying to reach for his knives to get at Edge. But Edge was good at what he did and, even more so, wasn’t fazed by anyone. Not even Styx made this guy pause to watch his mouth. Even if the crazed fucking smile he wore twenty-four-seven made you think otherwise. “Stomach wound?” His tongue lapped around his lips. Fucker seemed to get hard from the sight of people in pain.“Bullet. Sniper . . .” AK started reeling off shit about Flame’s injury. Rider came through the door, running his hand over his shaved head. The brother still wasn’t accepted by half of the club, but he was a good medic, so Styx allowed him to help when needed. He seemed to work well with Edge, which was a fucking miracle in itself.“What’ve we got?” he said to Edge, and the two of them started working on Flame’s wound, cutting off his clothes. I saw it in Flame’s eyes before he reacted. Saw the rage in his black gaze before he pushed Edge and Rider away, going nuts to get off the gurney. AK and Vike tried to hold him down, but the brother had fucking lost it.“Need me to smash old Bill into his face? Knock the wanker out?” Rudge asked, holding up his fist—the fist that frequently knocked his bare-knuckle fighter opponents on their ass. Or, more often than not, fucking killed them.Shaking my head, I jumped forward to help keep Flame down. Edge approached with a needle and syringe, his mismatched eyes lit with excitement. Suddenly, Maddie and Lil’ Ash crashed through the door.“Flame!” Maddie rushed toward her husband, pushing Edge out of the way. Flame stilled the minute he saw her. “Get off him,” she said to everyone, her voice tight with warning. I backed up. AK and Vike did the same. Edge was pulled back by Styx. I got out of the way and just fucking watched. “Baby,” Maddie said, putting her hand on Flame’s cheek. His fucking wide eyes set on his wife and didn’t move. His breathing was heavy, but calmed when Maddie spoke. Tears fell down her cheeks, but her voice was steady.“Maddie,” Flame whispered, and she kissed his head.“Baby, you’re hurt. You need to let Rider and the doctor heal you.” His eyes were losing life. His blood was seeping onto the bed, and the fucker was about to pass out. Maddie pulled on his hand, and he refocused on her. “I am staying with you,” she said. “I am not leaving your side. And I will be here when you wake up.”Flame exhaled, then his eyes started to close. Edge and Rider were fucking rocking on their feet waiting to get to him. I was no doctor, but I didn’t think his injury would kill him. I’d seen men come back from ten times worse in the army.The second Flame was out, Edge and Rider pushed through to him, all business. Most brothers left the room, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off Maddie. Because the bitch had told Flame the fucking truth. She stayed beside her husband, gripping his fingers, running her hand over his head. She was whispering into his ear, and my chest nearly fucking cracked at the sight.My eyes closed, and my hands balled into fists at my side. I’m here, mi amor. I’m here . . . I will never leave you . . . I could feel Adelita’s hand in mine. I could feel her finger on my cheek, and I could smell her rose perfume. Smell it as if it was right beside me. As if she was right beside me . . .The sound of the floor creaking made my eyes snap open. A hand came down on my shoulder. Tank. “You good?”I nodded my head, then turned. AK and Vike were still behind me, watching as Edge and Rider worked on Flame. AK had his hand on Ash’s shoulder. The kid was white. And he wasn’t taking his black eyes off Flame. Fucking locked on his brother on that gurney.“Styx is calling church in thirty minutes,” Tank said. He looked at me. “Let’s get a drink.”

Synopsis

THE DEEPEST LOVE CAN BE BORN FROM THE FIERCEST HATE…Born to sit on opposing thrones.They were never meant to fall.Tanner Ayers is the heir of the Texas Ku Klux Klan. Fed nothing but hate, violence, and intolerance from the day he was born, Tanner kills for his cause without remorse.Until he meets Adelita Quintana, the daughter of the most brutal cartel boss in Mexico.Adelita and Tanner hate each other instantly. But there is something between them that neither can explain or deny. Hate turns to desire, desire turns to love, and for the first time Tanner sees how wrong his whole life has been.For years, Tanner does everything he can to find a way for him and Adelita. He walks away from the Klan, his family, everything he ever believed, and joins the Hades Hangmen. But now the Hangmen are at war—not only with his own family, but with Adelita’s too.When Adelita and Tanner are thrown together again, they are forced to fight for a love that should never have been. For a love that puts them and everyone they have ever loved in danger.The White Prince.The cartel princess.And a future that seems shrouded in darkness…

Available Now from the world of Rachel Van Dyken’s Eagle Elite!

Keep reading for a excerpt 🤗

“See?” Renee spread her arms wide and gave a little shrug. The moonlight cast a glow through the impressive kitchen window, giving her such an ethereal look I stopped breathing for a second before schooling my features. “Nothing to worry about, nobody here to kill me.”

I didn’t relax my stance or lower my gun. “So you checked the crawl spaces? Closets? Dark corners?” I took a step as she shook her head slowly. “Then surely you checked the pantry, right? I mean it’s right behind you. Hell, there could be someone with a gun trained on that pretty mop of hair right now and you wouldn’t know until it was too late.” Her eyes widened like she hadn’t thought of it. Of course she hadn’t. It wasn’t her job to think about the monsters in the dark, just like it wasn’t her job to protect herself. That was why she had me.

I reached behind her and opened the pantry, pointing my gun inside before shutting the door and facing her again. “It’s clear.”

Her lower lip trembled. “I didn’t think of the pantry.”

“It’s not your job to obsess over the pantry,” I whispered in a gruff voice. “It’s your job to listen to me when I’m trying to do my best to keep you safe.”

She looked away. “Can’t save everyone.”

“But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with trying, Renee.”

I said her name.

It tasted sweet on my tongue.

The moan that wanted to follow was barely suppressed by clenching my teeth together.

“Are you going to do a sweep of the house?” she asked quietly.

“Did you want to join me?”

“Am I safer with you or by myself in the kitchen?”

“With me,” I lied. Physically she would always be safe from our enemies—but I knew the truth in my soul. I was just as dangerous to her as a bullet. My being with her would eventually kill her.

All the wives knew it.

They knew that eventually there would be blood.

And if their husbands were gone—it was only a matter of time before it was theirs that was spilled.

I’d like to think that’s why we drank wine like water.

Because when you constantly stare down your impending doom, you start wanting to celebrate every extra minute you’ve been given.

“Let’s go.” I nodded toward the hall. My footsteps whispered against the carpet. Nothing seemed out of place—which was almost more suspicious. People were messy. The hallways were lined with family pictures of Renee smiling with her parents. A heaviness settled on my shoulders.

“She can’t know,” Phoenix had said earlier that night. “At least not yet.”

I knew she was close with her parents. I also knew that they were dishonest with her. And she wondered why she was the one nannying the kids.

Why she was constantly under the watchful eye of Nixon.

I shook my head and kept walking with a stiff Renee next to me.

I cleared each room, each closet, each corner, and twenty minutes later when I felt it was safe enough for her to do more than breathe at my side, I lowered my gun and put it back in its holster.

“All good?” Renee stepped away. She rarely looked me in the eyes, but this time they locked onto me for a good three seconds before she tucked her hair behind her ear and walked farther and farther away.

I almost reached out and grabbed her arm.

Almost jerked her against my chest.

Almost confessed it all.

The lies they’d told.

The secrets we kept.

All to keep her safe.

All to keep her in the dark.

To keep her alive.

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!

“I’m not going to take off your underwear. I’m going peel this silk off you like the skin of a fruit, and then I’m going to eat you. I’m going to suck on you like a plum. I’m going to unwrap you like a Christmas present and then you’ll see what a happy boy I am.”

I never expected to have a religious experience while reading a romance novel…but this story was EVERYTHING! There was so much depth to the story and these characters- and I felt so much from every moment.

Perhaps I’d been programmed at birth only to want this one person, and there’s this tiny thing in my mind—not a thought, not even the seed of a thought, but like the frozen root of some dormant plant that might one day years from now drop a seed that can become a full-blown thought—that I can almost remember feeling this way about God once upon a time. That years ago, there used to be a Sean Bell that loved without restraint and reluctance and fear. She reminds me.

I loved Tyler and Poppy’s story in Priest and Midnight Mass and didn’t expect that a more original, thought provoking story could follow those two books…I was so wrong. Sinner touched on so many social issues as well as continued with the religious theme that fits the Bell family perfectly.

It never works. And it’s a stinging thing to note that even as I try my hardest, even as I throw every reason I ever hated God or despised the Church at her, I can’t crack her faith the way her love cracks me. I can’t carve away her connection with God the same way she’s carved a gap into my heart that she refuses to fill.

Sin with Me is the first book in a four-book contemporary romance series by New York Times bestselling author, JA Huss, and veteran actor and writer, Johnathan McClain. Each full-length novel will release three weeks apart starting on March 6, 2018.

***

Two broken people in a city fueled by sin.

Maddie isn’t looking to be saved. She knows the only person you can count on is yourself. Her moral compass might not point true North these days—but at least she’s still standing.

The military taught Tyler about loyalty. Being there for your brothers is the only thing that matters—but when it mattered most, he wasn’t.

She’s got a ticket straight to Hell. He’s already been there and back.She needs to win. He just needs to stop fighting.

Some sins scar your soul so deeply, you’ll never be the same.But this Devil in disguise might just be the angel he needs to forgive himself.

MADDIEHe better just be getting started. Because I want more.His hand slips around the curve of my ass, squeezing it so hard, I bite my lip to stifle a whimper. His fingers press into my skin, grabbing hold of me like he might never let go.His tongue laps against my pussy, then flicks my clit. I fist his hair and let my head fall back—pressing against the brick wall. He does this little move with his tongue. Teasing me as he swirls it around, presses his mouth firmly against my clit, and moves it back and forth so quick, I drop a hand down to his shoulder and dig my nails in. Like I might never let go either.It’s been a while for me. Too long, really. And I can feel the climax building and building, and then—“Not yet, angel,” he murmurs.“Yes,” I say, insistent. “Now. We’re in the alley and there’s people—”“There’s no people,” he counters. “And I want to be inside you when you come. I want you to be fucked as much as possible before I let you finish.”“Hey,” I say. I really need this guy’s real name. I can’t keep calling him that. Especially during sex. “We gotta hurry. I’m at work and—”“You’re not at work. You’re with me, Scarlett.”And I really need to tell him my name too. Because I feel like I’m morphing into Scarlett. This is the kind of thing she does, not me.Isn’t it?He lifts my legs, still pushing me against the wall, repositions them so they drape over the crook in his arms. He’s holding both ass cheeks, squeezing them hard and pressing against me with his hard cock. But we’re eye level and I’m looking at him like… like we’re something. Like maybe I am with him.He grins. A devilish, mischievous grin. Says, “How do you like it?”“Like it?” I say, my eyes darting around to make sure no one can see us.“Scarlett,” he says, demanding my attention. “Look at me. And tell me how you like to be fucked.”“Uhhh… good.”He laughs. “Roger that. Anything else?”“Just…” I start. Because I’m not really into the dirty-talking shit. I’m not into alley sex, or wall sex, or giving blow jobs for money. But I’ve done all those things since I met him. Last. Fucking. Weekend.So fuck it. I’m Scarlett now, I guess.“Hard,” I say. “I like it hard.”He smiles.“And dirty.”“Filthy?” he asks. “Or just dirty?”I take a moment to wonder how much difference there is between filthy and dirty.“Scarlett,” he says, pushing his stiff cock up to the entrance of my pussy. God, I’m wet. And the way he’s teasing me has my whole body trembling. “Tell me how to fuck you. Because if you don’t, you’re just gonna have to get it the way I like to give it.”Jesus Christ.

Two accomplished writers come together to create unforgettable sexy romance. JA Huss is the New York Times bestselling author of 321 and has been on the USA Today bestsellers list eighteen times. Johnathan McClain is a veteran actor and writer whose work, either performed or written, is probably airing on at least one of the channels on your television right now. Find us at www.hussmcclain.com and Joint Facebook Group

Playing the Pauses was a perfect follow up to A Cruel Kind of Beautiful. A bit of time has passed and now the Red Letters on on the fast train to stardom. Already touring and recording their own music, they are on their way to becoming one of the biggest names in the music scene.

When Kate joins on as Tour Manager. She expects it to go just as every other tour before and arrives with her own preconceived notions about what to expect from Jax, Jera and Danny; however, she quickly learns that this trio is far from any band she’s worked with before and she ends up being drawn to each and every one of their personalities and can resist crossing her line of professionalism and forming friendships with Jera and Jax.

But Danny is a different story. In Playing the Pauses I got to see a whole different side of Danny. I thought I had a grasp on who he was, but I was SO wrong. There was so much more to Danny beneath the surface and Kate, seeing a kindred spirit in Danny, took it upon herself to peel those layers away and get to the core of what made Danny who he was. She took their time together and an opportunity to help him work through the deep rooted need to care for others and never caring for himself. He became a ‘people pleaser’ and, aside from his love of music and tattooing, completely lost sight of what makes him happy – in and out of bed. Katy opened him up to exploring that while allowing him to keep true to who it was. She was familiar with his kink and was willing to do what she could to help him find his way. And together, they were beautiful and sexy and it added so many layers of heat to the story.

I just adore the Red Letters band members. Their personalities are so different, yet they share such an incredible friendship that is only strengthened by their love and passion of music. With Jera’s story, it had a bit of comedy…I mean her personality is so playful and laid back, I couldn’t help but giggle often. Danny’s story is a bit more serious and a lot more sexy. I have a feeling that Jax’s book is going to be loaded with emotion. There’s a lot going on with him behind the scenes and I know once I get to know those details, his story is going to break my heart and put it back together again. I can’t wait!

Where I Am was a wonderful and emotional second-chance romance by Michelle Dare. If you’ve read Where I End then you are familiar with Parker Maxfield. This is his chance to find the love he helped Eve and Cy have.

There is no better friend than Parker. The guy was kind, funny, laid back and if you’re lucky enough to be part of his inner circle, he’d do anything for you. His loyalty knows no bounds and after everything he did to help Cy and Eve…his happily-ever-after is MUCH deserved.

I somehow managed to fall in love with Parker while falling for Cy in Where I End. Both guys were so irresistible and if this was a different type of romance story – I’d be all up in that man sandwich. But alas, Patrick is a one-woman man. Literally, even after years of separation his heart has only belonged to one woman and now that Astoria is back, he fights tooth and nail to get the chance to clear the air and make things right.

Astoria was sweet and kind and head strong with a splash of naïveté. And as with any heartbroken woman she’s guarded but still looking for the chance to find love again. For Astoria, all roads lead to Parker.

After reading both Cy and Parker’s stories back to back, I was left with a double whammy of an emotional hangover. Both stories were filled with so much emotion, heartbreak, passion and inspiration and I would go through it all again and again. Their pain was so worth the pleasure I got out of their stories.

He was the man of my dreams, or so I thought. I wasn’t sure how I’d react when I saw him again. I planned on avoiding him, but our small hometown made that impossible. The years apart melted away when I saw him. Time hadn’t changed my feelings, after all. Jealousy flared anew. My heart, which I thought had healed, was back to being in a million pieces.

Now I’m right where I don’t want to be—in front of him with tears in my eyes.

Parker

Everything isn’t always as it seems. One moment could cause a ripple effect with unexpected consequences that last for years. Not a day had gone by that I didn’t think of her. When our paths crossed again, I knew I had to tell her the truth. Arguing was inevitable, but I’d rather fight for her than face another day without her. My heart always belonged to her.

Michelle Dare is a romance author. Her stories range from sweet to sinful and from new adult to fantasy. There aren’t enough hours in the day for her to write all of the story ideas in her head. When not writing or reading, she’s a wife and mom living in eastern Pennsylvania. One day she hopes to be writing from a beach where she will never have to see snow or be cold again.

I have a new baby daddy…and his name is Emmett Smith <3!! After a string of fantastic, yet darker reads, Baby Daddy was the perfect book to recharge and cleanse my reading pallet.

Emmett and Jenna had such a wonderful connection and shared great chemistry. I just adored everything about this story.

I just want to say how I wish my elevator rides could be just as interesting as they are in romance novels. With my luck, my elevator adventure would involve some construction worker after a full days work in 100 degree heat. Yeah, nothing as pleasant as getting to know the sexy man in a suit who, after a 45 minute conversation offers to fill me with his baby batter. Gah! I get all warm just thinking about it.

With Emmett and Jenna, they have it all figured out. Their life plans are set, the agreement is ironed out and all is well. Until what was supposed to be a detached, clinical interaction turns out to be a smoking hot sex fest. From there not only does a friendship form, but the passion grows.

Baby Daddy was a quick, comical, emotional, sweet and sexy romance that had my heart from beginning to end.

A hot and hilarious new standalone from New York Times bestseller Kendall Ryan.

We met in a trapped elevator.

Emmett was on his way to work, sophisticated and handsome in his tailored suit and tie.

I was on my way to the sperm bank. Awkward, right?

At thirty-five, my life hadn’t taken the path I thought it would and I was tired of waiting—I wanted a baby. And I was ready to take matters into my own hands to make it happen.

After our ill-fated elevator encounter, Emmett insisted on taking me to dinner—he also insisted on something else—that I ditch my plan involving a turkey baster and let him do the job. He would be my baby daddy. He was a wealthy and powerful CEO with little interest in diapers or playdates. And since he didn’t want kids, I’d be on my own once his bun was in my oven, free to go my own way.

But once his baby was inside me, it was like a switch had been flipped, and I got a whole lot more than I ever bargained for.

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She’s a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she’s appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Start Me Up, the newest standalone in the Man of the Month Series by #1 New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner is LIVE!

Wicked days. Sinful nights. Meet Mr. April.

A high school drop-out with only his twisted sense of humor and panty-melting good looks going for him, Nolan Wood has turned a small radio gig into a thriving career.

Now a local celebrity, Nolan never wants for female companionship. But he never gets too close. And he damn sure never lets them see the man—or the pain—behind the jokes.

Then a one-night stand changes everything.

Career-focused, goal-oriented, and buttoned-down accountant Shelby Drake isn’t the kind of woman who’d usually catch Nolan’s attention, but her soft mouth, hidden curves, and deep sensuality blow his mind. And after only one taste, he wants more.

But Shelby wants nothing more to do with him. And now the radio playboy is on a sensual mission to convince her that opposites really do attract.

Her pleasure is his passion.

**Start Me Up is part of a binge read series by New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and #1 International bestselling author of the million copy Stark series, J. Kenner.

Each novel in the series is a STANDALONE romance with a guaranteed HEA!

J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

“All these bruises,” Smoke muses. “And not one of them caused by me.” He trails a hand up my arms and down my flat stomach. “Pity, but I still have time to leave my mark on you yet.”

My entire body stiffens. I’m as rigid as a corpse.

Smoke chuckles and I’m glad I’m facing away because his laugh is pure torture, causing his erection to vibrate against my folds which are aching for more contact.

“You will be punished, hellion. You can be sure of that.”

I look over my shoulder and meet his dark eyes which darken even further as his pupils dilate. His lingering gaze rakes me over from my feet to my breasts and back down to the space between my thighs. He licks his full bottom lip.

My stomach flips. My will to fight him off doesn’t waiver, but my body isn’t getting the message. My core clenches again. I turn back around to face the tile, digging my teeth into my lower lip until I taste my own blood.

Is that what your friends call you? I like that. Thanks for the answers.That’s an interesting question—why tonight of all nights? Well, I saw my ex tagged on Facebook with another woman, and that put me over the edge. But it’s more than that. Lately, I’ve developed a strong attraction to a good friend of mine, and that’s sort of screwing with me a bit. He’s actually temporarily living in my condo, but he’s someone I’ve known for years. I’ve always thought he was extremely handsome, but it’s complicated. He and I would not be a good match romantically. He’s not the monogamous type, or at least, he never used to be. We’re better off as friends. He was also the best friend of my ex years back, so there’s that. Having him around, though, has made me more sensitized to my sexual desires. Little things like the waft of his scent, the way he touches the small of my back when he passes by me in the kitchen…it’s like my body is on this constant state of alert. So, I was thinking if I could just—for lack of a better word—get laid, maybe I could get this feeling out of my system.—Amber

My jaw was open as I just sat there staring at the screen.

Holy shit.

I read it again.

And again.

And again.

I honestly didn’t think that Amber felt that way about me. She would always make jokes about me being good-looking, but her attraction to Rory proved that her taste wasn’t exactly conventional. Now, I really felt like shit for invading her privacy, because there was no way she would’ve been okay with confessing that to me. I never imagined any of this had to do with me. I’d assumed it was solely about Rory.

She wanted to use another man to f*ck me out of her system?

That revelation left me shocked and confused—not to mention hard as f*ck thinking about the fact that Amber wanted me.

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Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new, sexy standalone novel.

Growing up, the three of us were friends.He was the nerd.I was the playboy.She was the beauty.

Deep down, I only ever wanted her. I kept it inside because Rory and I made a pact that our friend, Amber, was off-limits.

He lied.

I went off to college, and he got the girl.Amber never knew how I felt. They were together for years—before he broke her heart.

Through it all and across the miles, she and I casually stayed in touch.When my job sent me to Boston for a three-month contract position, Amber let me stay in her spare room.

Still reeling from her breakup, she’d sworn off men.One night, I opened her computer to find the shock of my life. She’d hesitantly contacted a male escort company. Afraid to date and get her heart broken again, she was looking for sex with no strings.Every emotion imaginable ran through me: protectiveness, jealousy—curiosity.Amber had chosen Gentleman Number Nine and sent him a message.She opened up to him, confessing, among other things, her physical attraction to her friend—me. But she considered me off-limits—and she thought I was a manwhore. (Ironic, considering the circumstances.)

Eventually, she set up a date to meet Gentleman Nine at a hotel.When she showed up several nights later to meet him, she was stunned to see me standing there—with an offer I hoped she wouldn’t refuse.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She’s a seventeen-time New York Times bestseller. Her novels are published in over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world. Having grown up in Boston with five older brothers, she spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 13-year-old girl with autism and a 12-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.